It’s been 39 days of intense campaigning by political leaders and four years since the last general election. Now it’s once again time for Quebecers to decide.

This is the day we pause to mark an X on a ballot; the day we get to have a say on Quebec’s path ahead. This is both an individual act and a shared endeavour. We may not always agree with each other on the outcome, but we all have an abiding respect for the democratic exercise.

There are 22 countries in the world where voting is an obligation. These include Argentina, Belgium and Costa Rica. In Quebec, voting is a right, not a requirement, but there’s a lot of debate surrounding whether it’s an essential civic duty.

While some would say there are many ways to be a good citizen without showing up at the polls — like volunteering, donating to charity or picking up litter — I tend to be of the view that casting a ballot is a responsibility like no other.

It is a privilege to live in a democracy where we do get to choose who governs us. There are many people in this world who are denied a vote, or have it stolen from them by dictators. In some cases, our forebears died or were imprisoned for this right. Voting is an antidote to authoritarianism. And in a world where democracy is increasingly under threat, voting is not something to be taken lightly — or for granted.

Quebec, by and large, has a history of fairly healthy voter turnout. In 2014, it was 71.43 per cent. That was down slightly from 74.6 per cent in 2012, but an improvement from a 70-year low Quebec hit in 2008 when just 57.43 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots. Maybe it’s because Quebec elections have tended to be high-stakes affairs where the fate of a country often seemed to hang in the balance, but participation rates have traditionally hovered around 70 per cent.

This time around is somewhat different, since the national question is not the defining issue in the short term. But for anyone lacking motivation to head to the polls, there are many important reasons to take the time.

Quebec finds itself in a moment of virtually unprecedented prosperity. The economy is booming; unemployment is at a historic low; public finances are in order; there is a $2.5-billion surplus — and no shortage of promises on how to spend it. Vote on how to keep the good times going. Vote on how best to reinvest for the common good.

Quebec is also facing a moment of truth about the kind of society we want to be. The values of openness and inclusion at times seem to clash with the battle to protect the French language and a national identity. Perspectives on these challenges divide regions and generations. Vote on a way to bridge these fault lines.

Vote on a particular promise or policy: a better-run health system, commitments to public transit, the best early childhood program.

Vote for a person you admire, as an individual, a candidate, a leader, a representative. It’s hard work to run for office. It’s true that to the victor go the spoils, but good women and men from a broad spectrum of backgrounds are needed for democracy to thrive, and even a candidate who has no chance of winning office can benefit from the pat on the back.

If you don’t have anything you want to vote for, voting against something is equally valid. Maybe you don’t love the candidates in your riding or the leaders or the parties, but finding the least worst option is sometimes necessary. It’s important to take a stand against ideas that offend your values, even if it means endorsing ones that don’t quite measure up. Holding your nose and voting is a less-than-fulfilling experience, but being strategic still counts.

Vote to change the world. To give a voice to the vulnerable. To help shape the course of history. Vote because it’s your first time, or could be your last.

Vote because women only won the right to universal suffrage in Quebec in 1940, 22 years after women did elsewhere in Canada. Vote for children, for the education system they deserve or the planet they will inherit. Vote for the elderly, for the compassionate care and basic dignity they deserve. Vote for the environment, for wildlife, for trees, to fight with all we have against climate change.

Vote because it’s our turn. Every four years, we get to have a say. This is the moment to hold our leaders to account and to remind them to whom they owe their elected office. Just vote.

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